Qaeda-linked groups says holding 41, including Americans, in Algeria

NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked Islamists claimed to have seized 41 hostages, including seven Americans, in a raid on a gas field plant in southern Algeria, two Mauritania-based news agencies reported.

The Islamists said that the attacks were in retaliation for Algeria allowing France to use its air space to carry out bombing raids in Mali, according to ANI and Sahara Media, the agencies who said they had spoken to the Islamists.

(Reporting by Laurent Prieur and John Irish; Writing by David Lewis; editing by Daniel Flynn)